Cross-head for mine-shafts.



Patented Feb. I9, 190|.

J. T.1SEMMENS.

CROSS HEAD F06 MINE SHAFTS.

(Application led Nov. 3, 1900.) (N o Il o d e l /N VENT-0H fo/ziv/Jemmerw Wl TNE SSE S A TTUHNEYS ns ou, Moro-uma.. wnsl-lmcn'ou. q. c.

rmi dramas Fnrniwr trice.

JOHN THOMAS SEMMENS, OF BALD MOUNTAIN, COLORADO.

CROSS-HEAD FOR MINEHSHAFTS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 668,464, dated February 19, 1901.

Application led November 3,1900. Serial No. 35,379. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t may cm1/cern:

Be it known that I, JOHN THOMAS SEMMENS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bald Mountain, in the county of Gilpin and State of Colorado, have invented a new and Im proved Cross -Head for Mine Shafts, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

'The invention relates to mining machinery; and its object is to provide a new and improved crosshead for mine-shafts arranged to automatically and securely lock the crosshead to the hoisting-cable during theascent or descent ol the cross-headin its guideways and to automatically unlock the cross-head from the cable at the time the cross head reaches a lowermost position to permit the hoisting-cable and its bucket to descend farther in the mine'shaft.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claim.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improvement as applied and with the cross-head resting at the lower ends of the guideways. 2 is a like view of the same with the crossliead locked to the hoisting-cable; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan View of the locking device for locking the cross-head to the cable, the section being on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2.

The cross-head A is mounted to travel in the usual guideways B, arranged in the mineshaft, and through openings in said crosshead extends a hoisting-cable O, supporting at its lower end a hoisting-bucket D, as is plainly indicated in the drawings. On the hoistingcable C, at or near the lower end thereof, is clamped or otherwise secured a head E, adapted to be engaged by lockingbars F, mounted to slide in suitable bearings Gr on the cross-head A, said locking-bars F serving to lock the cross-head A to the cable O by the locking-bars F engaging a reduced portion E below the conical top E2 of the Fig.u

head E. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) The lockingbars F are pivotally connected at their outer ends with trippinglevers H, fulcrumed on the crosshead A and pressed on by springsl for normally holding said tripping-levers ll-I in the position shown in Fig. 2. The lower curved ends of the tripping levers H are adapted to engage stops J, secured to the guideways B, at or near the lower ends thereof, said stops forming in addition a rest for the said cross-head A when the latter moves into a lowermost position. (See Fig. l.) /Vhen the cross-head A descends and moves into a lowermost position, the levers F receive a swinging motion by coming in contact with the stops J, so that said levers H move the locking-bars F outward out of engagement with the head E and unlock or disconnect the head, and consequently the cable C, from the cross-head A to permit the hoisting-cable and the bucket D to descend farther in the mine. When the bucket D has been filled and the cable C is caused to ascend, then the head E, with its base Emoves in engagement with the under side of the cross-head A, so that the latter moves upward with the hoisting-cable, and in doing so the levers H are moved out of` engagement with the stops J and the springs I return the levers and locking-bars F to their former po sition-that is, the inner ends of the lockingbars again engage the reduced portion E' of the head E and lock the cross-head A to said head E, and consequently to the cable O. Thus during the ascent or descent of the cable O the cross-head A is securely locked to the cable until the cross-head reaches a lowermost position-that is, is seated on the stops J-when the cross-head becomes unlocked from the cable and the latter and its bucket are free to descend farther in the mine-shaft. By this arrangement the cross-head A is not liable to become accidentally detached from the cable and drop into the mine-shaft, and thereby cause injury to workmen and to the machinery.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent'- The combination with a hoisting-cable and a head thereon, of a cross-head, locking-bars IOO mounted to slide on Said. cross-head and adapted to engage said Gable-head, springpressed levers fulorunned on said eross-head and connected with said looking-bars, and stops adapted to be engaged by said levers at the time the cross-head reaches a lowermost position in the mine-shaft, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN THOMAS SEMMENS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES HARPER, FRANK HARPER. 

